Tuesday, January 3

Hello lovelies and Happy New Year! Let's all let out a huge sigh of relief that we survived that trainwreck of a year that was 2016. Am I right? We are now 3 days into 2017 and I want to ask my old friends (loose terminology) Chip and Joanna Gaines a few tough questions. First - some background. If you've read my
post from a few years ago, I Want To Be Joanna Gaines, I love these two
and their show Fixer Upper on HGTV. They are funny, they are
best friends to each other, their family is ridiculously sweet and they are
fantastic designers. I love their show. I love their style. I love their
dedication to making their community a better place.

Photo
courtesy of HGTV.com

In November, they came under fire for being
members of the Antioch Community Church in Waco, TX. This church, and
specifically the pastor, Jimmy Seibert (who apparently really IS friends with
Chip and Joanna) have taken a strong stance on homosexuality and gay marriage.
According to this Buzzfeed article Jimmy has been quoted
saying: “Truth
No. 1: Homosexuality is a sin. The lie: Homosexuality is not a
sin. The statistics say that 90% of people who are in a full-blown homosexual
lifestyle were abused in some way. Physically, sexually, mentally. We have
people and young people that never had any intention of a same-sex attraction
et cetera, who have seen sexuality up front in pornography and now are trapped
in the addiction of it.”While Chip and Jo chose to remain primarily quiet
after the article was first published, yesterday Chip put up this blog post.
Click on the image to read it.

In it, he talks about learning how to lovingly
disagree. While he doesn't say it directly, one has to assume that either Chip
and Jo don't agree with their minister and that is the
harmonious discord that he refers to. OR that they do agree with
Pastor Seibert and they want us all to accept that they have a different point
of view on this particular topic. Meaning, they too believe that homosexuality
is a sin.So let's break it down. Let's say it's Scenario 1: Chip and Joanna go to
a great church that's become a major part of their lives. Like many of us they
find comfort and community there and a place to talk to their God. Presumably,
they use the church as a place to teach their children how to be faithful,
loving little human beings. But there are certain aspects of this church that
they don't agree with - ideologies that are old, out of date and that make
them uncomfortable. In this scenario, wouldn't it have been
incredible for them to use the blog post to say to the world, "We love our
church but on this topic we respectfully disagree." Or go a step further
in their conviction and ask the Pastor to set a true example of acceptance
and understanding of those who are different by eliminating dangerous and
unfounded statements. By staying silent initially, and then publishing a vague
blog post, they have missed a fantastic opportunity to effect real change in
the hearts and minds of their most conservative followers. But let's say it's Scenario 2: that Chip and
Joanna agree with their church that homosexuality and gay marriage are
condemnable acts that lead you away from God. Their faith and their background,
their strong belief in traditional values have led them to the conclusion that
being gay is, like the minister says, a sin. They are certainly entitled to
their opinion, but to then post a blog about understanding and acceptance,
saying that they as a family want to "operate from a position of love in
all things" while inherently believing that certain types of love are
sinful, is hypocrisy. Chip says in his blog that "Jo and I
feel called to be bridge builders. We want to help initiate conversations
between people that don’t think alike." Ok..so start at home. If you don't
agree with your church's stance on this issue, encourage a public conversation
with the church asking them to consider the damage their controversial
statements can have. If though they agree with Seibert's statements,
such as the one where he calls the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex
marriage in 2015 a "biblical admonition", then they must own it. Do
not hide behind grand proclamations of acceptance and understanding while practicing discrimination and exclusion in your own home. So my dear friends (again, loosely used and not intended to
produce a restraining order) Chip and Jo - what do you really mean when you say
"fear dissolves in close proximity. Our
stereotypes and vain imaginations fall away when we labor side by side"?
Are you speaking to your real friend, the minister of your church, asking him
to open his heart and mind to the concept that members of the LGBT community
are not sinners, and are instead misjudged and persecuted widely? Or do you,
deep in your heart, believe that they our gay brothers and sisters are
dangerously close to being beyond redemption based on their life
"choices"? Uniting a house divided as you suggest requires
clarity and the work cannot begin until the depth of the differences are
truly understood. Yes, you are correct when you say that "disagreement in
not the same as hate" but the judgement and condemnation that the LGBT
community has endured, partly because of vitriolic remarks like those of
your pastor, has been nothing short of hateful. I fear you will not say where you truly stand on
this issue because you are afraid it will damage your brand and you may lose
fans. And that is certainly a possibility - either way. But part of
the reason for your huge fan base, and the subsequent success you've had, is
because you wear your hearts on your sleeves and share everything. So share
this, Chip and Jo, so we can all fully understand the differences between us
and work to bridge the divide - as you say you have been called to do. Sincerely, Your Best Friend That You've Never Heard Of -
Allie